Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 17? Michael Wilson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Rico Dowdle, Stefon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle, Bucky Irving, Romeo Doubs, Josh Downs, Audric Estime

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson has begun to level out over the last two weeks after putting up video game numbers on the stat sheet earlier this season. Despite a dip in production, Wilson has still managed to put up reliable WR2 numbers in the fantasy football playoffs. The 25-year-old is RotoBaller's 14th-ranked wide receiver in Half-PPR formats ahead of a favorable Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals' secondary has allowed the third-most receiving touchdowns and the sixth-most receiving yards this season. In a dream matchup, Wilson has the opportunity to put up arcade numbers in fantasy football championships. Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) questionable to play Sunday, Wilson can still be plugged into fantasy lineups as a WR2 with confidence.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has maintained a significant role in the team's backfield despite the emergence of rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Stevenson should remain involved during Sunday's Week 17 contest against the New York Jets. Several factors point in his favor this week, starting with his role. Henderson (concussion) is questionable, and if he doesn't clear concussion protocol in time, Stevenson would handle the lead-back role, likely playing more than 80% of the snaps. Additionally, Stevenson's managers should be excited about the game script. The Patriots are favored by 13.5 points, and this spread suggests that New England could frequently run the ball or throw it short to minimize turnovers and run out the clock.

That works in Stevenson's favor because he has 26 carries and eight catches over his last three games. Furthermore, there will be more opportunities to go around with Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and Mack Hollins (abdomen) ruled out. These injuries could lead to more carries and targets for members of the backfield, including Stevenson. Finally, the 27-year-old gets a very favorable matchup against the Jets, who have allowed the most touchdowns and the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2025. If Henderson is inactive, Stevenson can be a high-end RB2 in fantasy football. However, even if Henderson plays, Stevenson is an appealing RB3/flex option.

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs' snap share has been held in check this season. The veteran has been on the field for just 54.2% of the snaps in 2025, which has allowed him to remain productive while also staying fresh and healthy. However, he could be tasked with handling more snaps in Week 17 against the New York Jets, purely out of necessity. New England is dealing with numerous wide receiver injuries; Kayshon Boutte (concussion) is ruled out, Mack Hollins (abdomen) is ruled out, and DeMario Douglas (hamstring) is listed as questionable.

Diggs, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism are the Patriots' healthy receivers, and even if Douglas suits up, the Patriots will need all four receivers to handle larger roles. That could mean that Diggs, who caught nine passes for 138 yards on a 59% snap share last week, could get on the field for more than two-thirds of the offensive plays. In theory, more snaps should lead to more targets for Diggs, who could feast against a Jets defense that most recently surrendered 10 catches, 148 yards, and two touchdowns to Chris Olave. The veteran pass-catcher is a strong WR2 option in most fantasy leagues this week.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has been the team's top option since Tyreek Hill's season-ending injury, and he'll be a solid second receiver in standard-sized leagues this week as his team hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Waddle had five catches on nine targets for 72 yards in last week's loss to the Bengals, which was the first career start for rookie QB Quinn Ewers. Waddle led the team with those nine targets, with no other player getting more than five looks.

Waddle didn't get into the end zone for a second straight week, but he has six touchdowns to go with his 910 receiving yards this season. He could get to 1,000 yards on Sunday if he has a big game against the Bucs, who rank in the middle of the league as a WR matchup. Waddle is the No. 17 WR in Week 17's RotoBaller rankings, landing him as a solid WR2 this week with a high floor due to this target volume.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is having success on the ground, but it's not exactly resulting in solid fantasy value right now. Since returning from injury, Irving has only found the end zone on the ground once over the last four games. The second-year back is doing well on the ground with 55 or more rushing yards in all of those games. The biggest problem has been the lack of scoring, with Sean Tucker being used in goal-line situations lately.

Tucker has scored a touchdown in three straight games coming into the Week 17 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Irving does have a plus matchup this weekend, with the Dolphins being mediocre against the rushing attack. The 23-year-old should be able to offer RB2 value, but his ceiling could be limited with the Bucs using a three-back committee that also includes Rachaad White.